By Ijaz Kakakhel

The National Highway Authority (NHA) is examining the tendering of 11 new road projects under its Road Maintenance Account (RMA), involving Rs40.75 billion in approved funding.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the RMA-funded program covers important sections of the M-4 Motorway, the National Highway N-5 and the Layyah-Taunsa River Bridge corridor. The projects include the rehabilitation of existing roads, construction of additional carriageways, widening of highway sections and river training works.

A significant share of the funding has been allocated to rehabilitation and construction of an additional carriageway on the Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian Motorway (M-4), where three packages are being implemented.

Package-I, covering the section from kilometer 239+000 to 256+000, is estimated to cost Rs4.919 billion, while Package-II from kilometer 256+000 to 274+000 carries a cost of Rs5.536 billion. Package-III, extending from kilometer 274+000 to 292+000, will cost about Rs4.508 billion.

Together, the three packages involve rehabilitation and additional carriageway construction over around 53 kilometers of the M-4, representing one of the largest components of the listed RMA-funded projects.

The NHA plans to spend Rs2.191 billion on improving and upgrading parts of the Lodhran-Multan section of N-5 under Package-I. Another Rs2.606 billion has been allocated to Package-II, covering the N-5 section from kilometer 907+000 to 929+000.

The documents show that Rs4.081 billion has been earmarked for improvement and rehabilitation of the T-Chowk Rawat-to-Bhanth section of National Highway N-5. The work covers both northbound and southbound carriageways.

Another major component relates to the Layyah-Taunsa River Bridge, where construction of a two-lane approach road and river training works has been divided into three packages. Package-II A carries a cost of Rs3.262 billion, Package-II B Rs3.222 billion, and Package-II C Rs3.805 billion.

The RMA program also covers improvement and widening of two sections of N-5 around Phool Nagar, Manga and Lahore Ring Road.

Improvement and widening of the N-5 section from Phool Nagar to Manga, covering kilometer 1212+200 to 1221+500, will cost Rs3.509 billion. The adjoining Manga-Ring Road section, from kilometer 1221+500 to 1231+600, is being undertaken at a cost of Rs3.114 billion.

Credit: INP-WealthPk